Andhra Pradesh industries minister T G Bharat’s remarks at the Europe Telugu Diaspora meeting in Zurich on Monday pitching Telugu Desam Party general secretary Nara Lokesh as the next chief minister of the state caused a big embarrassment to chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
Had he made such comments in his home state, it would not have had much impact on Naidu, as he has been encouraging such comments to promote his son.
Already, there have been demands from various sections of the party for making Lokesh as the deputy chief minister.
But when Bharat spoke about Lokesh becoming the next chief minister, it naturally hurt Naidu, prompting a sharp reaction from him. Naidu deemed such comment unnecessary and out of place.
Following the event, Naidu expressed his displeasure and reprimanded Bharat for making such statements on an international platform. Naidu wondered whether these comments were necessary at present.
He reminded the minister that the purpose of the meeting was to attract investments to Andhra Pradesh, not to engage in political rhetoric about Lokesh’s future leadership.
“The event was organized to boost investor confidence in Andhra Pradesh, and such remarks could detract from that goal,” he said.
Naidu warned Bharat against making similar statements in the future, reiterating the need for ministers to stay focused on their objectives during international forums.
He advised ministers to act responsibly and be cautious about their statements, emphasizing that discussions about leadership were not relevant in that forum.
